Sky writing apparatus



Oct. 11, 1932.l J, POPOFF 1,882,521

` SKY WRITING APPARATUS 1 Original Filed Aug. 5, 1950 8, Sheets-Shes?l 1 Oct. 11, 1932. J. PoPoFF SKY WRITING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 5, 1950 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 1v1, 1932. J, POPOFF 1,882,521

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SKY WRITING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 5, 1930 8 Sheets-Shea?.v 6

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SKY WRITING APPARATUS Original Filed Aug. 5, 1930 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 J. POPOFF SKY WRITING APPARATUS oct-11, 1932.

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PATENT, OFFICE .ronnro'rorn or/NEW Yonx, N. Y.

s xjY WRITING Arrm'rus Application led August 5, 1230, 4Serial No. 47)3,171. Renewed I'une 15, 1932.

This invention relates to sky writing and my improvements 'are directed to means whereby groups of orifices in a series thereof,

that an issuing stream of smoke will become shaped vinto letters and words, this method having the disadvantage, in addition to the exercise of skill required ofthe pilot, that-the -letters first written are apt to become dissipated before completion of a word.

Therefore, it is one of the purposes of. my 'invention to provide an apparatus, which may be in the form of an airplane,- having a series of outwardly directed orifices, whereof different groups may be used selectively :forthe issuance of smoke in different shapes,

thereby creating, for example, smoke letters,. lcharacters or designs, and displaying them against the sky.

If a monoplane is employed the upper surface of its mainfwingis pierced with rows of orifices, each controlled by a valve that is normally closed, butcan be opened through the agency of an electro-magnet, The wing being hollow or having a' compartment therein, is-adapted to receive the engine exhaust, withwhich may be mixed some enriching substance adapted to render the exhaust more smoke like in appearance. V

Carried upon the [airplane is a machine that is provided with a key board which may resemble that of a typewriter. Each charl acte: key of the key board, when depressed, may serve to close an electrical circuit with a generator that is also vcarried bythe airplane, the depression of said key, in addition, having the effect of energizing a motor, 45 which operates a rotating member that then makes successive vcontacts with circuit leadsA for the operation of the valves that control orces comprised in the group for producing lthe smoke character indicated by the depressed key.V

,Otherfeatures and advantages 0f.my inventionfwill hereinafter appear.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a partialside elevation of an airplane having a generator and showing means for conveying the engine exhaust into a hollow wing, with holes in the wing top for controlled issuance ofthe smoke.

Fig.. 2 is a plan view, artly brokenaway, ofa machine having a key board and elecen trical means forcontrollingthe issuance of smoke from an airplane Wing.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan-view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the machine, parts being shown in 6a elevation.

Figs. 5 and 5a are respectively partial top plan views-of a complete wing provided with rows of orifices. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view 7o of an electrically actuated valvefor control-l ling a. wing orifice.'l

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig.- 6. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8. k Fig. 10 is a perspective View of one of the evs.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 11-'11 ,of Fig.4; and 1 Y Fig. 12 isl a `diagrammatic lay-out of the so electrical circuits employed in the apparatus.

While m invention 1n sk writing is not limited to t e employment o `an airplane for its performance, I have elected, by way of example, to describeand illustrate 'the oper- 8;-, ative means as applied to and operative with an airplane.

, Thus, in Fig. 1 there -appears an airplane having a fuselage A, supporting wing B, and exhaust pipe C, that leads from the en'- gine (not shown).

The wing is shown as provided in its upper surface with a number of parallel rows of, orifices 1 (see also 'Figs.5, 5(1).' If the wing be composed of sheet `metallic material the engine exhaust may be admitted into the Wing and will supply pressure that causes the smoke to issue in jets from the orifices, and if some oily or other suitable substance,

be introduced into the exhaust to combine therewith, obviously lthe issuing jets can be efficiently employed in sky writing.

I, I have shown a conduit 2 as communicating at one end with the wing interior, and wiih its other end having a flared entrance 3 that may be opposed to the rearwardly directed exit of exhaust pipe C, whilst also, being forwardly directed, receiving atmospheric pressure,'in flight of the airplane, to thereby communicate pressure to the wing interior for expulsion of smoke' from the orifices.

Each of the orifices 1 is equipped with a normally closed electrically operated controlling valve 4, which valves will be described hereinafter.

An operating machine 5, provided with a key board, keys and electrical connections, appears diagrammatically in Fig. 1, which figure also shows a generator of electrical current 6 as operated by a propeller 7 for creating during Hight the energy required to actuate the valves and other working parts of the apparatus. y

The orifices 1 it will be noted are in rows that extend spanwise ofthe wing,`and also in rows that extend chordwise, and it is by the selective actuation of predetermined groups of the valves controlling their groups ofv orifices that the shapes or forms of letters, characters and the like in smoke are permitted to issue from the groups.

lthe designation of a letter or character to- 3 The keys of the keyboard, each bearing be produced by smokel jets are each adapted, when depressed, as by finger action, to conlnect a predetermined arbitrary group of orifices controlling valves with the negative pole ofthe source of electrical energy, the depression of said key at the same time causing a motor to be venergized, whereupon the rotor of 'said motor causes a switch lever to successively engage` contacts that have leads which respectively connect with the positive .pole of the source of energy through all of the orifice controlling valves, whereby the circuits are closed in succession with respect only to the valves in the group that control the orifices required to issue smoke for forming the smoke letter or character represented by the key that has been depressed.

For a more particular comprehension of the apparatus employed in the operation of the system reference is to be had to Fig. 4 which shows the complete machine 5 in vertical section. i Thus let 8 indicate the key board, which is provided with letter or character keys 9, each ey having a stem l1() which, below. the key board, carries the oppositely disposed contact blades 11, adapted to engage between the split contact members 12, 13, mounted on the insulation base board 14, to connect them electrically, thereby providing an electrical path, of'negative sign, through a conducting member 15, to a predetermined group of valves. 1

Lying beneath the base board 14 are a number of parallel leversv 16, all pivoted on a transverse shaft 17 that is secured to the opposite side walls of the machine, said levers being held normally against the under surface of base board 14, by meansof springs 18 that are anchored as toa lower transverse rod 19, andengage the rear ends of the levers. The key stems 10, at their lower ends are .bifurcated. at 20, enabling them to straddle and engage the levers 1G so that the depression of a key causes a lever 'engaged thereby .to be depressed therewith.

Relatively short levers 21, disposed at opposite sides ofthe machine, are also pivoted at their rear ends on shaft'17, and at their front ends are connected by a transverse bar 22, that lies against the underside of levers 16, under the tension of springs 23, which are y anchored to the side walls of the machine, as 'at 24, in a plan-e above said levers. Hence, the depression of any one of the levers 1G serves to similarly depress the levers 21, whose operation, as will presently appear, is

intended to actuate certain moving parts of the apparatus for the purpose of releasing the motor and causing the circuits to be' closed for operation of the orilice'controlling 1 valves.

Mounted in the side walls of the machine is a shaft 26 which carries bellcranks,`ea ch having the arms 27, 28, each arm 27 carrying a link that connects the lbell-crank with a lever' 21. The linkaforesaid may be adjustable in length, .for which purpose it is composed of a threaded rod 30 which engages end pieces 31, 32. The end piece 31 has a yoke-like portion that is pivoted to the v bell-crank arm 27, and the end piece 32 has a yoke-like portion whereby it straddles and pivotally engages a lever 21, at 29.

Secured to the shaft 26 intermediateits length is af Socket piece 33, into whose'socket 34 is entered the stem 35 of a pawl 36, a spring 37 in the socket serving to yi'eldingly hold the pawlextended. The arm 28 of one of the bell-cranks carries a contact shoe 38 that has sliding contact over fixed terminals A 39, 40 that are secured, in 'spaced relation upon an insulation'plate 25 that is mounted on a side wall of the machine, said shoe being adapted to bridge Said terminals and thereby close an electrical circuit.

The terminals 39 and,40 are normally held unbridged to keep the circuit open, though adapted to be bridged by shoe 38 to close the circuit, thereby constituting a switch, the agencies whereby the switch is actuated including pawl 36, as will be described hereinafter. y

Mounted upon the machine frame is a circular block 41 of insulation material, containing concentric rows of contact members i -42 that extend through said block, the upper and block 41, an eccentric disk 46a.

ends of members'42- lying flush with the upper surface of block 41, and their lower ends projecting below said block, where they form binding posts to engage lead wires that ,extend to a set of binding posts 43 located, at

the back of the machine, where they are readily accessible.

The contact members 42 bear consecutive numbers'that coi'res'pondwith like numerals borne by the binding posts, for a purpose to be explained hereinafter, it being. here stated, however, that lead wires connect contact members 42and binding posts 43 bearing like numerals. Secured to the block 41 and contained within the machine is a motor housing 44 that contains an electro-motor 45, whose rotor and carries, between the motor housing 44 Said disk 46a has a shoulder 47 which is normally engaged by a latch 48, thatisslidable in a fixed-guide 49, and has a stem 50, s lidable in a fixed guide 51, said stemadjustably engag' -ing an elbow piece 52 which carries a. pendent roller 53 that is normally located in the pathof the pawl36. A spring 54 lies between the fixed guide 51 and a collar 55 upon stem 50, to normally urge the. latch 48 into the path of rotation of shoulder 47, to thereby hold the eccentric disk 46a against rotation..

It will be noted that inthe operation of any key lever 16, and the consequent depression of shaft y22 and levers 21, the links 30 thereby swing the bell-cranks with their' shaft 26, wherebyv the pawl 36, through its engagement with roller 5 3, shifts the latch 47 out of the path of the shoulder 48 on disk 46a, leaving said disk free to rotate.

At the same time the swinging motion ac corded the bell-cranks causes the shoe 38 carried by a bell-crank arm28 to shiftrinto bridging contact with both terminals 39, 40,'

thereby completing an electrical circuit which includes the generator and the. electromotor, so that theelectro-motor becomes energized and causes the rotation of its rotor bedded in the upper surface of block 41, said ring 56v being electrically connected with the negative pole of thev generator, through a binding post 43. 'Also the switch arm 54 has yieldingly socketed in its under surface, contact members 57, 58, which are respectively in opposed relation with the concentric circlesin the block 41 that contain the conlfrom that group of orifices.

3. The combination'with an airplane havl ing a hollow wing provided with outwardly i directed orifices, means for introducing the tact members 42, whereby said switch lever,

` in its swinging' movement, causes the contact Vmembers 57, 58 to make successive contact i with all the contact members 42.`

An electrical path, indicated at 5.9, connects I An example of the valves employed by inel is shown in Fig. 6 and comprises a valve casing 60, having'a seat 61 Just below an orifice 1, said seat normally receiving a valve head shaft 46 extends revolubly through block 41,

62, to close the orifice, as bythetension of a spring 63, and the valve stem 6 4 forming the core of an electro-magnet 65 that is included in the electrical circuit, lwhereby the valve is caused to open upon the closing of the switch. It will be noted that binding posts 66 carry the leads from the contact members container provided with outwardly directed orifices,an electrically actuated valve for each orifice, ,to control it, means for introducing pressure intosaid container, a source of elecli trical energy, ay key board having keys thatA each representa character, circuit meansthat include all the valves, and selective means actuable by individual keys for closing the circuit with respect to groups of valves whose orifices represent characters borne by respec# tive'keys.

' 2. The combination with an airplane of a hollow wing therefor provided with outwardly directed orifices, means for introducing the engine exhaust into said' wing, an

control it, an electric generator, a' vpropellor toA operate said generator, circuit means that include said generator and valves, a key .electrically operable valve for each orifice, to

board, character keys therefor, each bearing a different character, means intermediate` the respective keys and different groups of said valves actuable lto close the circuit selectively for any group of valves whose orificesrepre sent the character on a key, when said key is depressed to permit emission of engine exhaust into the wing, a valve for each orifice', 'selective means for operating the exhaust onlyvalvesand means intermediate the' selective meansand the different groups of valves acvtuable to operate any group of orifices to permit the emission of 'exhaust only from that group of orifices.

4. The combination with an airplane having a hollow wing provided with outwardly directed orifices, means for introducing the engine exhaust into the Wing, said means being open to the atmosphere to create pressure for the passageof the exhaust gases to said wing during the Hight of the airplane, a valve for each orifice, selective means for operating the Valves and means intermediate the selective means and thev dierent 'groups of valves actuable to operate any groupv of orifices to permit the emission of exhaust only fromthat group of orifices.

New York, N. Y., August 1st,1930.

' JOHN POPOFF. 

